Mounting strap for jamb lights



1955 D. D. DE LASHMUTT MOUNTING STRAP FOR JAMB LIGHTS v Filed April 6,1955 INVENTOR. .DaMdQDeZaMmu/l ArrozeMfY This invention relates toimprovements in jamb lights of the type employed for illuminating thedoor locks v and the porch flooradjacent the door.

Residents of ordinary single family dwellings are greatly inconveniencedwhen returning from a visit or a place of entertainment on a darkevening by the difli culty they experience in unlocking their doors. Inthe first place they usually carry an assortment of keys on a key ringor chain and there are frequently several keys for the same type oflocks, which are so nearly alike that it is difficult to select the keyfor a particular lock. Even where the owner has marked the key in somedistinguishing manner and is thus enabled to select the right key in thedark he finds it dilficult to insert the key in the lock. If as is oftenthe case, the owner returns from late shopping with an assortment ofpackages he must lay them on the porch floor while selecting the rightkey and inserting it in the lock.

In most cases residences are provided with porch lights but the lightsare not kept burning when the occupants are out and the control switchesare invariably on the inside and therefore cannot be operated until thedoor is opened.

It is the object of this invention to produce a lamp assembly of such aconstruction that it can be readily installed in the door jamb andconnected with the house lighting circuit, which lamp assembly shallhave a switch accessible from the outside and be so positioned andarranged that it will illuminate the lock and the porch floor.

I am aware that lamp assemblies of the type usually referred to askeyhole lamps have been invented by others and I therefore do not claimany novelty in the idea broadly, but rather in the lamp assembly per sethat will now be described in detail, for which purpose reference willbe had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention is illustratedand in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a strap forming anelement of my assembly and a part of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 Figure 5 and Figure 5 is a view,partly in section and partly in elevation, taken on line 55 Figure 4.

In the drawing, numeral designates an outlet box of usual constructionhaving at least one opening 11. The ends of the box are provided withthe usual adjustable brackets 12 and with threaded lugs to which thestrap 13 and the face plate 14 are attached by screws 15. The means usedfor attaching the strap and the face plate to the box are conventionaland no novelty is claimed therefor.

Strap 13 is provided with an opening comprising two substantiallyrectangular areas A and B which are connected along the base of area Aforming an opening of the shape shown. Reference numeral 16 designates alamp socket which is available on the market and comprises the hollowsubstantially cubical body containing the necessary contact elements foreffecting electrical connections with the center and the screw base of asmall electric lamp 17. Since no novelty is claimed for the lamp socketelement and since the same is a well known article of commerce thedetails of its con- States Patent 0 struction will not be described. Thedimensions of the socket element 16 are such that it can pass throughopening A. The front end of the socket element is provided with aprojection 18 whose sides are provided with grooves 19 for the receptionof the vertical edges 20, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Strap 13 hasupstanding edges 21 that serve to separate the face plate from the strapa suflicient distance to provide space for projection 18 and for ascreen 22 for preventing insects from entering the box.

The strap has a depressed circular area whose bottom has been designatedby numeral 23. The bottom has an opening 24 for the reception of thetubular threaded neck 25 of switch 26. Nuts 27 serve to hold the switchin position as shown in Figure 5. The switch has been shown as of thetoggle type and is operated by handle 28. A push button type switch can,of course, be substituted. Wires 29 and 30 are connected to the voltlighting circuit as shown and the lamp and switch are connected inseries with wires 29 and 30 in a manner well understood.

The strap is covered by the face plate 14 in the manner shown in Figures4 and 5. The face plate forms the subject of a design application ofeven date herewith and is provided with a number of transverse louvers30 through which light from lamp 17 can emerge: Some of the light willfall directly onto the door and the lock and a portion will be reflecteddownwardly and illuminate the porch floor.

The relative position of the lock and the lamp has not been shown as itis not considered material. It is substantially as shown in Figure 1 ofU. S. Patent 2,562,687.

The face plate is provided with a depressed area 31 having an openingthrough which lever 28 extends, as shown in Figure 5. A resilient gasket32 may be positioned between the outer nut 27 and the depressed area ofthe face plate to prevent the entrance of water although there is verysmall likelihood of water entering because of the sheltered position ofthe fixture.

The depressed area 23 to which the switch is attached, serves to bringthe handle 28 to a position where it is sufliciently retracted to makeit improbable that it will accidently be hit by persons walking in andout and still be readily available when the switch is to be operated.

What is claimed as new is:

A strap for use in mounting a switch and an incandescent lamp socket andholding them in a predetermined position in an elongated switch andoutlet box, said strap comprising a rectangular metal plate of a size tocover the open side of an outlet box of the type mentioned, the platehaving an opening for the passage therethrough of light, said openinghaving a width slightly less than the width of the plate, the side edgesof the opening being parallel, the lower portion of the opening havingside edges that are spaced a shorter distance apart than the width ofthe side edges of the upper part of the opening forming accessible edgesfor use in attaching a lamp socket body thereto, the plate having acircular depressed area below the upper opening, the bottom of thedepressed area having an opening for use in attaching a switch to theplate, the side edges having narrow portions thereof projectingoutwardly forming spacers for a face plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,230,643 Anderson June 19, 1917 2,254,842 Gray Sept. 2, 1941 2,562,687Anderson July 31, 1951 2,580,056 Wheeler Dec. 25,

